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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24125017">Yes, Mr Kaiba</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/GracefulCharity/pseuds/GracefulCharity'>GracefulCharity</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime &amp; Manga)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Boss/Employee Relationship, Driving, Eventual Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, Love/Hate, Pining, Romance, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Social Anxiety, Workplace</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 16:01:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>17,387</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24125017</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/GracefulCharity/pseuds/GracefulCharity</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A young woman becomes Seto Kaiba's personal driver, finding out more about him with each car journey they share. 6 years post-canon.</p><p>[SPOILERS: If you just want to read the hot stuff you can skip to chapter six. No one will judge you for that]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kaiba Seto/Original Female Character(s), Kaiba Seto/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Yu-Gi-Oh!FF</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The New Driver</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/OBrownies/gifts">OBrownies</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Where’s Fujioka?”<br/>
Asuna resisted flinching at Seto Kaiba's abrupt interrogation. He may not have tried to intimidate her, but his voice had an authoritative quality and an intensity that gave the impression he was about to lose his patience.<br/>
Looking straight ahead with her gloved hands resting on the steering wheel of Kaiba's Tesla, she said “My father was taken to the hospital late last night. He asked me to drive for you this morning.”<br/>
Kaiba continued to loom at the open passenger-side door, bent at the waist, frozen in the act of getting into the seat. Asuna could not see his expression but her peripheral vision detected no movement at all, no reaction to the news that his family’s driver of twenty years was in hospital.<br/>
The sun had barely risen above the horizon. The trees lining the driveway to the Kaiba family mansion cast long shadows across the neat lawns of frosted white grass. Had Kaiba said anything, his breath would have created another wispy white cloud, but he said nothing.<br/>
“The doctor said he’s in a stable condition, but we don’t know when he will be able to return to work.” Asuna’s gaze never wavered from the patch of empty air on the other side of the windscreen.<br/>
Kaiba still did not move. “Are you a professional driver?”<br/>
“No. I mean, kind of.” Asuna could hear her credibility slipping away.<br/>
“What does that mean?”<br/>
“I deliver packages. Take-aways.”<br/>
Kaiba's throat made a short, gravelly sound before he straightened up and closed the car door. For a moment, Asuna thought she had been rejected, but the door to the back seat opened and Kaiba climbed in. Through the rear-view mirror, Asuna saw him throw his attaché case onto the seat beside him before he looked up at caught her eye.<br/>
“The household staff address me as ‘sir’ or ‘Mr. Kaiba’.”<br/>
“Yes, Mr. Kaiba.” The words tasted bitter.<br/>
“And don’t watch me in the mirror like that. You’re here to drive.”<br/>
“Sorry, sir.”<br/>
“Don’t apologise to me. Just do your job.” Kaiba took out his phone and leant back in his seat.<br/>
How disappointed Asuna’s father would be to see her now, after everything she had said to reassure him just hours ago. He could have at least warned her that his boss was a stone-cold sociopath.<br/>
Asuna pushed the ignition button and the motors of the Tesla primed for departure. It was the most expensive car she had ever driven by a large margin and she hoped the smooth handling would only make her job easier. She checked the mirrors before pulling out and stole a quick glance at Kaiba, despite herself. He was tapping his thumbs on his phone, typing something. Through the shadow cast by the hair falling over his face, she could see deep creases between his eyebrows. His face was composed of straight, blunt lines that emphasised the expression of concentration.<br/>
As she rolled the car away from the pavement, into the road, Asuna asked “Where to, Mr. Kaiba?”<br/>
“The lab” came the voice from behind.<br/>
“Yes, sir.”<br/>
She tried to imitate the way her father drove, managing the momentum of the car to keep the movements smooth without being too timid. She should have listened to him more when he tried to drill these habits into her as a teenager, but she had resented his advice. Despite her love of driving, or perhaps because of it, she had not wanted to debase herself by becoming a chauffeur like him. His heart attack had changed all of that. In the space of just a few hours, Asuna’s attitude to her father, and to her own life, had been uprooted, but this was not the time to think about that. She had to focus; drive well, sit up straight, be polite, stay invisible.<br/>
The modulating hum of the motors was only interrupted by the occasional clicking of the indicators. No more words were shared between the executive and his new driver until the Tesla came to rest in front of the laboratory. Asuna applied the handbrake and was about to get out and open Kaiba's door for him when the silence was broken.<br/>
“Wait.”<br/>
Asuna drew her hand back from her door handle and replaced it on the steering wheel.<br/>
Kaiba's dark eyes were regarding her through the rear-view mirror.<br/>
“I'll let myself out. I don't want anyone seeing I've got a little girl driving me around.” He said, as if stating a fact that did not interest him much.<br/>
Asuna was twenty-three, and anyway there was no one there to see her at this early hour, but she knew better than to contradict him.<br/>
“Shall I arrange a long-term replacement driver for you, sir?” she asked, keeping her voice steady. She had no idea how to find such a person, but it seemed like the right thing to say. Kaiba would surely want a professional, or at least someone who looked the part.<br/>
He was quiet for a moment. “Your driving was adequate. Did Fujioka tell you my routine and preferences?”<br/>
“Yes, sir.” For most people, a taxicab would have been an acceptable replacement on short notice, but Asuna’s father refused to put his employer in the hands of a stranger.<br/>
“What’s your name?” asked Kaiba.<br/>
“Asuna.”<br/>
“Asuna Fujioka?”<br/>
“Yes, sir.”<br/>
Kaiba grabbed the handle of his briefcase.<br/>
“Then welcome aboard, Fujioka.” He got out and closed the door behind him.<br/>
Asuna exhaled heavily, feeling the tension around her lungs release at last. No longer under scrutiny, she allowed herself to rest her head against the cold glass of the window.<br/>
Kaiba's face appeared only inches away from the glass, jolting her upright. His arm was resting on the car roof above her head, supporting his weight as he bent down. Their eyes met directly for the first time. Through the noise-reducing glass, Kaiba's voice sounded muffled, but the way he emphasised each word ensured the message was clear.<br/>
“Don't disappoint me.”<br/>
Without waiting for a “Yes, Mr. Kaiba” he headed into the building, leaving Asuna to wonder whether she had really seen a smirk on his lips or if it was only her imagination.<br/>
Asuna waited. A can of coffee from the vending machine, a quick look inside the Tesla to inspect the engine, and a few hours of reading about Kaiba Corp and Duel Monsters online helped to take her mind off the state of her father's health. There was nothing she could do to help him now, except to help maintain his professional reputation.<br/>
Asuna has always known her father worked for the family who owned a tech company, and that they had two sons, but she had never considered that the boys, who were children when her father had started his job twenty years ago, would now be adults. It was no wonder that he was so protective of them if he had watched them grow up. That loyalty meant nothing to Kaiba, though. He cared not at all that his chauffeur had almost died and was still in a serious condition.<br/>
Regardless, he was Asuna’s boss for now and she could not let her disdain for him prevent her from doing her job. Asuna brought up a map of Domino City to study the routes between the Kaiba Corp Headquarters, KaibaLand, and Kaiba’s mansion outside the city.<br/>
A text message came through at 12:30, lighting up the tablet in the centre of the dashboard. It was from Hanajima, Kaiba's personal assistant, informing her that Kaiba was ready to depart for lunch.<br/>
Asuna brought the car to the front of the building and was relieved to find Kaiba had not beaten her there. It would reflect badly on her father if she was sloppy or unprofessional, but then again, if she kept meeting Kaiba’s expectations he would have no reason to dismiss her and she would have to stay in this job until her father recovered.<br/>
Asuna’s train of thought was interrupted when Kaiba stepped out of the revolving glass doors of the reception area, shortly followed by the other Kaiba, Mokuba.<br/>
The two brothers walking side-by-side was quite a remarkable sight. Their height, build, hair, and attire were completely different, so it was almost impossible to guess they were close relatives. Where Kaiba’s face was tensed into a perpetual scowl, making him look old beyond his years, Mokuba’s was relaxed and youthful. Kaiba’s stiff strides looked mechanical next to Mokuba, who seemed to almost bounce over to the car.<br/>
Remembering her instructions from earlier, Asuna remained seated as the brothers let themselves into the back seat from either side. Mokuba instantly noticed the new driver.<br/>
“What happened to Fujioka?”<br/>
Kaiba answered for Asuna “Satoshi Fujioka is in the hospital. This is his daughter, Asuna Fujioka.”<br/>
“Is he alright?” Mokuba was addressing Asuna directly this time.<br/>
“He’s in a stable condition. I’ll tell him you were asking after him. Where would you like to have lunch, Mr. Kaiba?” Asuna did not want to talk about her father, or about anything else.<br/>
Kaiba said nothing, but tapped on his phone a few times, sending a postcode to the Tesla’s internal computer. Asuna manoeuvred the car out of the carpark and onto the road, following the directions on the tablet.<br/>
Mokuba leaned forward in his seat, towards Asuna and away from his brother. “Fujioka mentioned you a few times. He told me you're a great driver. Can I call you Asuna? That's what he always calls you. You can call me ‘Mokuba’. That’s what everyone calls me since we can’t both be ‘Mr. Kaiba.’ Right, Seto?”<br/>
Kaiba made an affirmative sound without looking up.<br/>
Maybe this would not be so difficult. It seemed Mokuba did all the talking and not much was required of Asuna, conversation-wise.<br/>
When she thought it was safe, she glanced at Seto in the mirror to see if he disapproved. He looked just the same as he had all through the morning journey, his brow furrowed, looking down at his phone. She was surprised that he had remembered her name, but then he was supposed to be a genius. He probably had a good memory.<br/>
Asuna caught Mokuba looking back at her through the mirror. She directed her attention back to the road, hoping Mokuba had not noticed where she was looking. He continued to chatter away, and Asuna gave him the details of her father's heart attack when he asked for them.<br/>
As they neared their destination, Mokuba realised something Asuna had overlooked.<br/>
“If you were in the hospital all night with your Dad, does that mean you haven't had breakfast? And I bet you didn't bring any lunch with you either. You must be hungry.”<br/>
Actually, since Asuna had first found out about her father’s heart attack, her stomach had been in knots.<br/>
“Seto, can Asuna eat with us? Please?” Mokuba’s plea sounded a little ridiculous coming for a man of adult age.<br/>
Kaiba did not skip a beat in responding. “That would be inappropriate. Stop bothering Fujioka while she's working.”<br/>
After the brothers got out at the restaurant, Asuna found a small carpark nearby to wait in. Her gut growled. Ever since Mokuba had mentioned it, she had suddenly noticed how hungry she was. She got out of the car and had a quick look around the area for somewhere to buy a snack but there was nothing. If she ventured too far, she would risk keeping Kaiba waiting if he suddenly needed to leave, so she reluctantly returned to the Tesla empty-handed.<br/>
After a short while, a young man in an apron entered the carpark and headed towards the car. As he got closer, Asuna noticed the apron was decorated with the logo of the sushi restaurant where she had just dropped Kaiba and Mokuba. He came right up to the car and looked through Asuna’s window, gesturing for her to roll it down.<br/>
“Hi. Uh, Mr. Kaiba ordered these for you.” He raised the carrier bag in his hand so it was level with the car window.<br/>
Asuna accepted it and looked inside. The contents were wrapped in paper but from the smell, she could tell it was food. “Are you sure this is for me?” It was a stupid question, since there was no mistaking the situation, but it just seemed so unlikely that Kaiba would send her food that she had to check.<br/>
“Yeah, he said you’d be in the Tesla parked here. Enjoy!” said the restaurant worker, walking away before Asuna could respond.<br/>
The guy had said ‘Mr. Kaiba’ but he must have meant Mokuba. He had probably looked up the Tesla’s location using a GPS tracker in the internal computer and asked the restaurant to bring her the delivery directly. Intellectually, Asuna knew that possibility should be disturbing, but she could not feel anything but gratitude.<br/>
Inside the bag were a dozen neat little cucumber and salmon rolls. Asuna got out of the car and ate them standing up to keep the interior clean. Her father would never forgive her if he found out she had been eating in his employer's car. It was awkward, especially because she had to be careful to avoid getting any food on her father's uniform.<br/>
He was not a big man, so his waistcoat fit her surprisingly well, although the shape was wrong.<br/>
The sushi was delicious, though it may have just been her hunger improving the taste. After finishing all of it, Asuna disposed of the packaging, pulled her gloves back on, and got into the driver’s seat, in plenty of time to see a message arrive on the tablet telling her to collect the brothers.<br/>
She suspected Mokuba had sent her the food behind his brother's back, so she said nothing of it when they got in, not wanting to get him in trouble.<br/>
While they were waiting at a red light, Mokuba leaned forward. “Asuna, can I have your number? I’ll text you if I need a lift.”<br/>
“When was the last time you needed a lift?” Kaiba said from behind.<br/>
Mokuba twisted his neck around to face Kaiba. “What if my bike breaks down? Or if I have a few beers?”<br/>
Asuna slid her phone out of her pocket and passed it over her shoulder, then the traffic light turned amber and she released the handbrake.<br/>
Once they arrived back at the lab, Kaiba got out of the car but Mokuba stayed behind to return Asuna’s phone to her, giving her the opportunity to speak to him alone.<br/>
“Thank you for the sushi, sir.”<br/>
Mokuba looked confused. “Sushi?”<br/>
“Let’s go, Mokuba” Kaiba’s voice interrupted from outside. Mokuba obeyed, leaving Asuna alone to ponder the strange brothers.<br/>
•••<br/>
It was not until the dashboard clock read 20:05 that Kaiba was ready to go home.<br/>
Just like on the morning journey, Kaiba sat silently in the back seat, but this time he did not keep his phone out. He used it to stream a violin concerto through the car stereo, then crossed his arms across his chest and leant against the head rest. He closed his eyes and relaxed his posture, but the creases between his brows remained. He would surely give himself headaches if he maintained tension in his forehead like that. Asuna looked back at the road. Even with his eyes closed she feared Kaiba would catch her whenever she stole a glance at him.<br/>
He was bigger than she had expected; not muscular, but long in his limbs and broad across his shoulders. He gave the impression of folding himself up every time he got in the car.<br/>
In the dark, Kaiba's face was lit only by lamp posts and passing headlights; patches of white, yellow, and red, gliding over his smooth complexion from the tip of his chin up to the closed lids of his eyes, then disappearing over his hair. His was not a face you could forget easily. There was also no mistaking his voice. When he spoke, his throat rumbled like an idling engine; a petrol engine, not a whiney electric motor like the one in the Tesla.<br/>
Asuna did not see his eyes open until they reached the mansion, but she knew he had not slept. It felt like it had been a long time since she had first made the turning onto the same driveway that morning. Indeed, it was over twelve hours ago.<br/>
After bringing the car to a final stop, Asuna got out and opened Kaiba's door for him. There was no one there to see her, and it was dark anyway. She stood by the open door with her face bent downwards, at an angle to her straight vertical body. Her father had always stood up straight but kept his body relaxed, not rigidly standing to attention like a soldier. Asuna tried to imitate the same posture but when Kaiba stepped out and faced her directly, Asuna found it difficult to stop her limbs tensing up under his scrutiny.<br/>
“Don't ever open my door again” he said.<br/>
A shiver threatened to shake Asuna's whole body.<br/>
“If I'm riding with a guest, open their door and I will follow them.”<br/>
“Yes, Mr. Kaiba.” Asuna said to Kaiba's shoes. She waited for him to leave, but he remained in front of her. The sound of his collar brushing against his skin and hair gave the impression he was looking her body up and down.<br/>
“After you park the car, enter the house through the garage and find Noda. Ask her to take your measurements and she'll get you a uniform and make the other arrangements for your employment. Is there something you can do to look less...” Kaiba lifted a lock of Asuna’s hair from her shoulder and let it slide between his fingertips “... Cute?”<br/>
“Yes, sir.”<br/>
Asuna would try to figure out what he meant by that later, but in that moment, she was just focused on just making it through to the end of the night.<br/>
“That's all” Kaiba said, then he turned and walked up the steps to the house, briefcase swinging with each long stride.<br/>
Asuna let the air escape her lungs all at once, unaware she had been holding her breath.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Less Cute</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Asuna finds out the she's more similar to Kaiba than she had thought.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next day, Asuna arrived at Kaiba’s house at 7:00 wearing no makeup save for some concealer for the dark circles under her eyes. She wore a sports bra under her shirt to flatten her chest, and her hair was cut back to mere millimeters in height. She had removed it all the night before using an electric razor she bought from a 24-hour pharmacy. The transformation was not flattering, but that was exactly what Asuna was aiming for: “less cute.”<br/>
When she opened the gate in front of Kaiba’s house to pick up the Tesla, she found a new uniform tailored to her measurements was waiting for her on the driver’s seat; charcoal grey trousers with a matching waistcoat, and two white cotton shirts.<br/>
If Kaiba noticed any of the changes in his driver’s appearance, he gave no indication of it. He was already in a phone call when he got in the car.<br/>
“…Okay. When is that going to be finished?... No, don’t tell me a story about it, just give me a date… Fine. Tell Hanajima to schedule a meeting.” He took his phone from his face and addressed Asuna, simply saying “the lab” before continuing. It was not her job to eves-drop on his conversations, but his voice naturally commanded attention.<br/>
“Is the Orion ready for the demo?... The CEO is flying to Domino City just to see it, what are we going to show them?” Kaiba’s voice never rose in volume but his tone was chilling. “Find the engineer responsible for the firmware update and have him wait in my office. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”<br/>
He hung up. “Fujioka, I’m going to be in the lab all day today, so you won’t be needed until tonight.”<br/>
“Yes, Mr. Kaiba” she said, then she had a thought. “May I have permission to visit my father in hospital? He’s going into surgery tonight.”<br/>
Kaiba made a noise that sounded vaguely affirmative, but Asuna worried she had annoyed him by asking for too much. “Take the Tesla with you. If I text you, pick me up within thirty minutes.”<br/>
“Yes, sir.”<br/>
“And gives Fujioka my regards.”<br/>
•••<br/>
On Friday, Asuna was required to drive Kaiba and a few Korean visitors he was entertaining on a night out. She met the party outside KaibaLand after they had finished the tour of the premises. Instead of the Tesla she had rented a limousine with a generous seating area, as Kaiba had instructed.<br/>
When she saw the group approaching, headed up by Kaiba’s tall figure, she got out, opened the rear door and bowed her head.<br/>
First into the limo were two Korean men and a woman in her late twenties. The older of the men, Asuna guessed, was the CEO of the company Kaiba hoped would be a major client, and the younger was probably the engineer Kaiba had mentioned in one of his calls. Then again, there was no reason the younger of the men could not be the CEO. He was older than Kaiba, after all. Anyway, it made no difference to how Asuna drove the car, so she did not dwell on the matter. The young woman was talking to Kaiba in fluent, but accented Japanese, so Asuna guessed she must be the translator.<br/>
Each of the visitors smiled and nodded to Asuna as they passed her, but only the younger Korean man greeted her aloud.<br/>
“Hi!” He had a pleasant face with a smile that came easily. Asuna responded in Korean using the only phrase she knew, hoping her pronunciation was not too bad.<br/>
“안녕하세요” Good day.<br/>
It elicited a grin from the man, either because he was impressed, or because he found her poor attempt endearing. Asuna noticed what looked like an expensive watch on his wrist, and no wedding band on his hand. Maybe he really was the CEO. She looked back at the ground.<br/>
Kaiba followed the Koreans into the back seat without a word and Asuna pressed the door closed behind him.<br/>
•••<br/>
In the dim yellow light of the restaurant’s car park, Asuna leant against the limo with her hands tucked into her armpits to keep them warm. Had her father been in her place, he might have sat at the restaurant’s bar drinking tea while he waited, but Asuna did not enjoy that prospect. Just hearing the distant murmur of dozens of conversations going on inside made her feel uncomfortable. Being inside, amongst it, would be almost unbearable. Reading a book in the embrace of the limousine’s soft leather interior was far preferable. In fact, it had been so relaxing she had started to fall asleep, which is why she had stepped outside to stretch her legs in the bracing night air.<br/>
She checked the time on her phone. 21:10. Over an hour since they had arrived. They had probably finished eating now, but there was the possibility of extending the night with drinks. There was no telling how long they might take.<br/>
Her attention was drawn to a movement in the corner of her vision. The back door to the restaurant had opened, projecting a cone of light into the darkness outside. Someone was coming out. The figure was lit entirely from behind, hiding the face, but the broad shoulders, narrow hips, and precise movements of the long limbs could only be Kaiba’s.<br/>
He stepped out, apparently unaware that he was being observed. He took a few steps before leaning his back against the wall, his arms hanging by his sides. Even at a distance, Asuna could see his chest expand and collapse in a long sigh. There was something familiar about it and she felt that she was witnessing something she was not supposed to see.<br/>
Only then did Kaiba notice Asuna staring at him. Her impulse was to snap her head away and pretend she had not been watching, but it was too late for that. She maintained eye contact and nodded to him before looking down at her feet in what she hoped looked like a natural movement.<br/>
Her shoelaces suddenly became fascinating as she crushed the toe of one shoe into the ground, then the other, then brushed an imaginary spec from her uniform. This little performance lasted a few minutes, until the light from the doorway returned momentarily as it opened and closed again. Kaiba was gone when she looked up.<br/>
Just before midnight, the party returned to the limo, ready to disembark. Asuna held the door, first for the translator, who looked a little unsteady in her high heels but quite attractive now that her long hair had been let down around her shoulders. The older man was close behind and he obviously took some pleasure in watching the woman ahead of him stooping to enter the limo. He did not even seem to notice Asuna standing there. Next came the younger man. Again, he was the only one to greet her aloud, but this time he used Korean.<br/>
“안녕하세요” he said, using the same polite greeting Asuna had used earlier.<br/>
“안녕하세요” Asuna repeated, then added “밥 먹었어요” Did you eat well? It was a phrase she had looked up while waiting in the car and she had listened to the pronunciation a few times to get it right.<br/>
The young man laughed with his head tilted back. Now Asuna was almost certain he was the CEO.<br/>
“Very good” he said in Japanese “Did you really wait out here all night for us?” The translator must have been brought along for the sake of the other Korean man because this one had an excellent grasp of Japanese.<br/>
“Yes, sir” Asuna looked at the ground to hide her face.<br/>
The man raised a hand to Asuna’s chin and tilted her head up with one finger.<br/>
“Call me Jun.” His breath smelt faintly of beer. Asuna’s cheeks were hot.<br/>
Jun turned to Kaiba, who had just caught up. “Mr. Kaiba, whatever you pay this girl, it is not enough.” With that, Jun placed his hand on the top of Asuna’s fuzzy head and looked at her face one last time before laughing again and ducking into the limo.<br/>
Kaiba did not follow immediately but stood rooted to the spot. He took a breath in, then let it out. Not wanting to repeat her earlier transgression, Asuna looked at the ground and waited until Kaiba was ready to enter the limo and join the lively conversation happening within. When he did, she felt a pang of guilt for trapping him inside with the door. An environment like that would be exhausting for her, but she supposed Kaiba must be used to it.<br/>
The first stop was the Koreans’ hotel a few miles away. The traffic was lighter at this time of night, but the city still buzzed with activity. The patches of light and shadow moving across the car’s interior reminded Asuna of the way Kaiba looked in the backseat as she took him home each night, when his eyes were closed and she could take a long look at him. Now, the rear-view mirror was strictly for checking the road behind the car. The passengers talked and laughed, mostly in Korean, but Asuna was not watching or listening.<br/>
When the limo pulled up in front of the hotel, Asuna opened the door to let all the passengers spill out onto the pavement. Kaiba joined the Koreans outside to wish them a good night. His speech sounded a little slower than normal, and he used short sentences. After his guests had entered the hotel, he opened the front passenger-side door and collapsed into the seat. It was the first time he had wanted to ride in the front all week.<br/>
Asuna settled back into the driver’s seat, suddenly becoming aware of every movement of her body; the expansion of her lungs, the rotation of her head as she checked the mirrors, and the friction of her gloves sliding over the wheel as she turned it. She tried to focus on the road and forget about Kaiba, but it was impossible.<br/>
“If you flirt with one of my guests ever again, you’re fired” Kaiba said suddenly. He was not speaking carefully, as he had with the Koreans and the sentence ran together into one breath.<br/>
“Yes, Mr. Kaiba.” Asuna did not want to apologise for something she had not done, but she knew better than to argue.<br/>
Kaiba took a deep breath a shifted his position to throw his weight forward, resting his elbows on his knees and pushing his fingers through his hair.<br/>
“Vivaldi” he said to his lap.<br/>
Asuna hesitated. “Mr. Kaiba, this is a rented car. It has none of your music collection in memory. You can connect your phone to the Bluetooth if -”<br/>
“Never mind” he interrupted.<br/>
The limo did have a few albums in its memory, loaded in by default, but Asuna did not want to risk playing something Kaiba did not like. Next time she rented a car for him she would remember to copy over his music library. She wanted to be good at this job and impress Kaiba, even if he was rude and demanding. Of course, it was important to preserve her father’s reputation. This job meant a lot to him, even if Asuna could not figure out why.<br/>
Why be loyal to someone who barely acknowledges you? There was no way Asuna could keep this job for twenty years, or even one.<br/>
“Is Fujioka... Is your father alright?” Kaiba said, one word at a time.<br/>
Asuna blinked. “His surgery was successful, and he’ll be discharged next week, to rest at home.”<br/>
“My father, Gozaburo... He’s not our father” Kaiba mumbled, more to himself than to Asuna. “Your father, Fujioka, he was always... Every day, me and Mokuba, Mokuba and I... You’re lucky. That’s what I’m saying.”<br/>
What was he saying?<br/>
His words got a little louder and a lot faster “Just tell Fujioka to get better and come back to work.”<br/>
Kaiba was acting much more drunk than he had with the Koreans, and not like himself at all. Sitting next to him in the front of the limousine felt like being in a cage with a wild animal. Asuna hoped he would not remember any of this in the morning.<br/>
That thought made her risk looking in Kaiba’s direction, though she was still careful to move only her eyes and not her head. His face was buried in his hands, the front of his hair clutched between his clenched fingers, causing it to stick out at erratic angles.<br/>
On the top of his head, the hair was still neat, all originating at a single point and lying away from it like longitude lines on a globe. Asuna felt the urge to put her hand on top of his head to feel it, just like the Korean CEO had done to her.<br/>
Or was he the CEO? That question had interested her earlier, but now it seemed unimportant. Her mind was full of other questions.<br/>
What was all that rambling about her father just now?<br/>
Why was Kaiba so bent up about her opening his door?<br/>
Why did he leave his business dinner to stand outside in the cold?<br/>
If she touched his hair, would he remember it the next morning?<br/>
Did he really buy her that sushi on her first day?<br/>
The events of the whole week played out in her mind as she navigated the streets of Domino City that she knew so well. At every junction there were little groups of people having fun on a night out, waiting at traffic lights or walking along the pavement. It was a kind of intimacy that was foreign to Asuna, who had never been that easy around others. Maybe Kaiba was the similar in that respect.<br/>
“Thank you for sending me that sushi, Mr. Kaiba” said Asuna, but Kaiba was asleep. He was slumped awkwardly against the door with his chin flat to his chest. For the first time, Asuna saw his face completely free of tension and she could detect a resemblance to Mokuba she had never noticed before.<br/>
The hum of the electric engine was so quiet that Asuna could hear Kaiba’s long, shallow breaths passing between his slightly parted lips.<br/>
When the Tesla stopped outside his front door, the dashboard display read 01:19. Kaiba was still asleep. Usually Asuna dropped him off at the front of the mansion before parking the car in the garage behind the main building, but she decided to give Kaiba one last chance to wake up. She used the button on the key fob to open the garage, eased the car inside, and killed the engine. The headlights died and the warm interior light came on, but Kaiba still remained motionless except for slow rise and fall of his chest.<br/>
“Mr. Kaiba?”<br/>
Still nothing. Asuna reached out and laid her hand in the crook of Kaiba’s elbow. Through his coat sleeve and the suede of her glove, she could feel the heat he was emitting. It was evidence that somewhere, buried in Kaiba’s chest, there was a heart pumping hot blood around his body. He was not a machine, but a living being.<br/>
Asuna squeezed his arm. Kaiba tensed and his eyes snapped open wide. He saw Asuna and relaxed, sucked in a deep breath, and sat up. Asuna withdrew her hand, but the warmth still lingered on her glove.<br/>
With a great effort, Kaiba found the door handle and stumbled out of the car, moving as if his limbs were twice their usual weight. Just before he closed the door behind him, he said “Forget about that sushi. It was no trouble.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Decision Point</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kaiba decides Asuna's fate</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Asuna rang the doorbell of her parent’s house and did not have to wait long for her mother to let her in. They shared an awkward embrace, as always, and Asuna’s mother once again ran her hand over Asuna’s head, flattening the hair and watching it spring up again as her palm passed over.<br/>
“I can’t get used to this. You must let it grow out” she teased.<br/>
“I’m in here” Asuna’s father called from the kitchen.<br/>
When Asuna had visited last weekend he had remained seated for the duration, trying to hide how tired he was. To see him standing at the kitchen sink filling the kettle with water came as a surprise.<br/>
“Tea?” he offered.<br/>
“Yeah, I’ll make it” said Asuna, trying to take the kettle from him.<br/>
“Nonsense. Go sit down” he turned to wedge his body between Asuna and the sink. Asuna gave up on the kettle and got the tea leaves from the cupboard.<br/>
“You’re feeling better, then?”<br/>
“Much better. I even took the car out a few times this week, although your mother won’t let me go on my own.” He twisted his neck to look at his wife in the doorway.<br/>
“Is it that awful to go for a drive with your wife? It wasn’t that long ago you used to beg me to get in your car with you” she said, folding her arms in mock defiance.<br/>
“Thirty years is a long time” he countered. “Anyway, you’re going to have to let me go out on my own some time, and when I do, I can go back to work.”<br/>
“I thought the doctor said you would need to rest for a month after the surgery” Asuna said.<br/>
“Yes, and on Wednesday it will be four weeks.”<br/>
Asuna always knew that she would only be driving for Kaiba temporarily, but she had not expected it to be over so quickly. Each day seemed so long, and yet four weeks had gone by without her noticing. She should be relieved to soon be free of the early mornings and the late nights, not to mention Kaiba ordering her around and Mokuba pestering her with small talk. She would not have to listen to another Tchaikovsky suite for the rest of her life.<br/>
She might never see the patches of light and shadow moving across Kaiba’s sleeping face again.<br/>
“Are you alright?”<br/>
The question brought Asuna back to the kitchen in her parent’s house. Her mother was watching her from across the room.<br/>
“I’ve got a headache. I’m going to sit down” Asuna said mechanically.<br/>
•••<br/>
On Monday night, as she drove Kaiba home, Asuna entertained the idea of taking a diversion on their way back, even though Kaiba was awake. He probably would not notice, but if he did, she could say she was avoiding road works or congestion. He would probably see through that, though. He saw things other people did not.<br/>
The thought that this would be one of their last journeys together left a cold pit in Asuna’s gut.<br/>
“Mr. Kaiba, my father’s doctor said he could return to work as early as next Monday.” She attempted to keep her voice level.<br/>
Kaiba continued to tap at his phone in the backseat, showing no sign that he had heard her. When his typing came to a natural end, he paused but did not look up.<br/>
“I have a business associate looking for a new driver. He’s a family man, so his hours would not be as difficult as mine. I can send Fujioka the details.” Kaiba shifted in his seat. “That is, if you would like to remain in this arrangement.”<br/>
Asuna was stunned. She only managed to say “Yes, sir” out of habit, rather than as a conscious answer. “I’ll discuss it with my father.”<br/>
Satoshi Fujioka was getting on in years and his doctor had advised him to slow down his pace no matter how good he was feeling. He would probably like being around children again now that his own were grown adults.<br/>
The memory of Kaiba’s drunk rambling came to Asuna’s mind. What had he tried to say about his father, and her father, and Mokuba? Asuna had never before considered what her father’s relationship had been to the Kaiba brothers when they were children. He had seen them every day, maybe even more than their own parents did. Maybe his loyalty to the Kaiba family would compel him to resume that position regardless of his health.<br/>
Still, there was hope now where there was none before.<br/>
•••<br/>
“You need to shift down sooner so you have more control on the turn” said Asuna’s father, from the passenger seat of his old Suzuki.<br/>
“The Tesla doesn’t even have gears” Asuna objected. Satoshi was the one who suggested she drive them both to his send-off party specifically so he could correct her technique. Now that she was Kaiba’s permanent driver, she needed a professional level of skill.<br/>
“The Tesla isn’t the only car the Kaibas own. Most of the others are manual” Satoshi countered.<br/>
“Shift down” he said as they approached the next turn. Asuna obeyed. His corrections always struck her as pedantic and overly cautious, but she could not deny that he drove smoothly, and she wanted to learn how drive like that.<br/>
They arrived at the Kaiba mansion neither early nor late. It felt strange to walk up the steps to the front door for the first time after seeing them from a distance every day for the past month. Mokuba had said the dress-code was “casual”, but Satoshi immediately dismissed that notion. This was the first time he had been invited to the Kaiba home as a guest and he refused to wear anything less than his best suit and tie.<br/>
When she rang the bell, Asuna was expecting Oda, the housekeeper, to answer, but it was Mokuba who greeted them.<br/>
“Welcome! Asuna, you look beautiful” he beamed, ushering the father and daughter inside with his hand at Asuna’s elbow.<br/>
Asuna felt his eyes on her, and she started to feel unseasonably warm. She was wearing a simple black dress that covered her shoulders and chest but left the skin between her shoulder blades and down to her back exposed. Since she was not there as a chauffeur today, she thought Kaiba would not mind her wearing some makeup and earrings. Without her hair, she felt her face was naked and needed the decoration. Then again, Mokuba had not said whether Kaiba would even join them or not so she could be fretting over nothing.<br/>
Asuna had only been inside the house briefly once before, when Oda had taken her measurements on her first day. At that time, she had been surprised by how sparsely decorated the interior was compared the grandeur of the building. Now she had the time to look around.<br/>
The enormous staircase was the most prominent feature of the room, lined by bannister carved from dark, varnished wood. At the top, a family portrait hung on the far wall. Mokuba and Seto, much younger than present day, stood behind a seated man, presumably their father. It was difficult to make out the details from a distance and Asuna wanted to keep looking, but Mokuba was leading her and her father away.<br/>
He opened a door at the far end of the entrance hall and bade them to enter. The room on the other side was surprisingly traditional. The entire back wall was glass, overlooking a pond, complete with long glistening koi fish and a little bridge crossing over it. In front of the window was a low wooden table and four cushions.<br/>
“Please make yourselves comfortable” said Mokuba. They all sat around the table, leaving the seat closest to the door empty instinctively. This was not the kind of party Asuna expected Mokuba to organise, but it was perfect for a man like her father.<br/>
Kaiba entered the room holding a tray bearing a tea pot and four cups, next to a plate of biscuits that looked home-made. He was wearing a baggy jumper over a collared shirt and his white socks poked out from under his loose-fitting trousers. It was a striking change from his habitual formal wear.<br/>
“Welcome” said Kaiba as he set the tray down in the centre of the table and lowered himself onto his cushion in one smooth motion. He poured a drink for Satoshi, then for Asuna, who was careful to accept it without touching his fingers. She was again experiencing the sense of self awareness that had come over her when Kaiba had first sat in the front seat next to her. Her usual habit of acting invisible was not appropriate for this setting, but she did not know how else she should behave.<br/>
Raising his cup a few inches off the table, Kaiba turned his head towards Satoshi and said “We were glad to hear of your recovery. You have served the Kaiba family well for the past twenty years” He turned to Asuna briefly “You even trained an exemplary replacement.”<br/>
Asuna returned Kaiba’s gaze until he looked down at his cup.<br/>
“Thank you, Fujioka. We will miss you” he finished, taking his first sip of tea.<br/>
Satoshi shrank with embarrassment. “I’m going to miss working for you boys.”<br/>
With the formalities out of the way, the atmosphere relaxed and Mokuba started chatting to Satoshi. They discussed the heart operation and his new job with the Hitachi family, then reminisced, sharing stories Asuna had never heard before. She caught Kaiba hiding a smile behind his teacup when Satoshi recalled how Mokuba had lost Kaiba’s first Blue Eyes card and begged his driver to search the car. When they did, they found the card had wedged itself behind the seat cushion in the back seat and they conspired to slip it back into Kaiba’s deck without him noticing it was ever missing.<br/>
It was hard to connect the stories with the executive who bossed his employees over the phone but seeing Kaiba drinking tea in his comfortable weekend clothes, the little boy playing chess with his brother on his way to school was not so difficult to imagine.<br/>
“That foreign girl you went out with recently had blue eyes, didn’t she? Is that what you liked about her?” Mokuba asked Kaiba.<br/>
“Her eyes were blue, but I didn’t really like her.”<br/>
“In that case, can I have her number?”<br/>
“As if you’d even know what to do with it” Kaiba said dryly.<br/>
Asuna took a sip of her tea and tried to wipe the idiotic grin from her face. When she looked up again, she caught Kaiba regarding her over the top of his cup. She studied his face through the veil of steam, trying to read his mind. Did he notice the effort she had put into her appearance? How did she compare to to the blue-eyed foreigner?<br/>
As usual, it was impossible to determine anything from those cold, motionless eyes. Kaiba tilted his head back to drain the last of his tea.<br/>
He excused himself an hour after the guests had arrived. Actually, it was exactly an hour. The last patches of sunlight had abandoned the garden and the room was getting dim as Asuna watched Kaiba disappear through the doorway.<br/>
She wondered why he had recommended her father to another family, especially after Asuna had disregarded his orders and embarrassed him. He seemed to genuinely care about Satoshi’s well-being, but was that the only factor in his decision, or did he want Asuna to stay? Did he feel the same sense of calm she enjoyed when they were alone together? She pushed the idea from her mind. Indulging her curiosity would not do anyone any good. Now she was Kaiba’s permanent chauffeur, she needed to focus on being professional and keeping her job. There would not be a better one after this.<br/>
Kaiba returned with a box balanced across his hands.<br/>
“This is from Mokuba and me.”<br/>
Satoshi rose from his seat to receive the gift, then sat back down, placing it on the table in front of him. The top five faces of the box were lifted up the reveal a miniature tree growing from a ceramic dish, its tiny branches twisting off in every direction and ending in perfect little leaves.<br/>
Asuna wondered how Kaiba knew her father loved bonsai.<br/>
Satoshi beamed. He stood again and shook hands with Kaiba, enclosing the younger man’s hand with both of his own.<br/>
“It has been my pleasure to watch you grown into the man you are now, Mr. Kaiba.”<br/>
“Thank you” Kaiba said quietly. He broke the handshake prematurely and stepped away. While Satoshi was thanking Mokuba in a similar fashion, Kaiba slipped back out of the room.<br/>
Asuna decided she wanted to use the bathroom before she went home so she asked Mokuba how to find it.<br/>
When she was finished, she expected to find the others waiting for her in the hall, ready to leave, but it was still empty. She could hear the muffled voices of Mokuba and her father coming from the room she had left them in and was about to join them when the family portrait at the top of the staircase caught her eye again. She tentatively climbed the first few steps to get a better view.<br/>
All three faces of the Kaiba family were serious, though their postures were relaxed. Seto’s hand rested on his father’s shoulder while his head and body were turned slightly to the side, looking sidelong at the viewer. Next to him stood Mokuba, radiating a cherubic innocence. He had aged the most noticeably since the portrait was painted. Between them sat their father. Although he had a face just a stern as Kaiba’s, there was not much of a detectable resemblance otherwise. Ada tried to recall what Kaiba had said about his father when he was drunk. Was he a stepfather to one or both of the brothers? Where was his mother?<br/>
For some reason, Asuna had never before wondered why the two adult brothers still lived together. Their salaries must be large enough to accommodate comfortable independent lifestyles, even in Domino City. Asuna and her siblings had all left home now, even with their modest earnings. Maybe the wealthy class were different in that respect. Their dwellings were so vast they could live together without constantly tripping over one another.<br/>
“Are you lost?” a familiar voice growled behind Asuna.<br/>
She spun around to see Kaiba at the base of the stairs. In her surprise, the point of her high-heeled shoe slipped off the step and she stumbled. Kaiba lunged forward and grabbed her arm to steady her.<br/>
“Careful.” His grip was firm, but not painful.<br/>
“Sorry” Asuna scrambled to correct her footing. Kaiba released her arm but did not move away. With his back foot still on the bottom step, his face was at Asuna’s level and uncomfortably close. He was much older than the image in the portrait she had just been studying but the expression on his face was identical. Asuna’s heart was still racing from the shock of almost falling. In fact, it seemed to be going even faster now.<br/>
“It’s a good likeness” said Asuna, looking back up the stairs at the portrait. She wished she had something more intelligent to say about the style or technique.<br/>
Kaiba made the humming sound in his throat that Asuna knew so well. “I’ll see you on Monday” he said as he passed her on his way up to the landing.<br/>
Asuna leant against the bannister and watched Kaiba climbing the stairs ahead of her. On Monday morning she would drive his car and try to be invisible, but today she was Kaiba’s guest and she could address him almost as an equal. There was no telling when she might next get another opportunity like this.<br/>
“Mr. Kaiba”<br/>
He stopped just before disappearing around the corner. Asuna instantly regretted calling after him but she forced herself to continue.<br/>
“Thanks for giving me the chance to work for you.”<br/>
She wished she had the vocabulary to express how desperate she was to be a good driver; to be useful to him, but all she could find were simple words, like a child would use.<br/>
“I like this job a lot. Really.” Why was it always this difficult to just talk?<br/>
“I’m not doing you a favour. You’re simply the best person for the position.” Kaiba said over his shoulder before continuing down the hallway, leaving Asuna alone on the staircase.<br/>
A month ago, she had hated the idea of driving a bossy rich guy around, waxing his overpriced car and listening to his pretentious music. Now, she could not imagine doing anything else with her life. She treasured every moment she spent on the road with Kaiba and what made it all the more precious was that she knew it would not last, though she could not say why.<br/>
Something was beginning, and whatever it was would one day have to end.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Tokyo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kaiba attends an event in Tokyo and Asuna gets some advice from a stranger</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>To fully appreciate this chapter, I suggest the reader listens to Arabesque No. 1 while reading it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Wednesday morning came around quickly. When it was time to take Kaiba to the office, he sat in the back and took a number of calls making arrangements for an event he would attend in Tokyo that evening. From the sounds of it, a lot of big names in the technology industry were going to be there but it was more of a social function than a business dinner. Either way, there would certainly be alcohol served. Kaiba might get drunk again, like on the night he had entertained the Korean visitors, but this time the ride home would be much longer. There was an important meeting the following morning that Kaiba had committed to attending, so they would be driving to Tokyo and back in one night.<br/>
The Tesla's battery capacity was not well suited to such a long journeys and her father had agreed that the Mercedes was the right choice to replace it for the evening. It was the car he had driven every day for years, up until Kaiba got the Tesla. The space inside was generous and the ride was smooth, but above all, it was reliable.<br/>
Asuna checked the engine of the sleek black Mercedes-Benz, blasted it with a jet-washer, waxed the bodywork, and vacuumed the interior. She bent down on her hands and knees in the foot wells, getting into every crevice with the nozzle. Her father must have done the same thing when he had done her job. The Kaiba brothers probably made a lot of mess there when they were children, if the story about Mokuba losing his brother’s card was any indication. Asuna smiled, remembering how Kaiba had tried to hide his amusement when her father told that story.<br/>
She scrutinised the back seat one last time for any crumb or mote of dust she had missed and pushed at the seam between the backrest and the seat. There was something protruding out of it. She managed to pinch it between forefinger and thumb and pull it free.<br/>
It was a Duel Monsters card. Asuna could hardly believe what she was seeing. It was as if the second-hand memory in her mind had summoned it into existence.<br/>
The card was called Graceful Charity and it depicted an angel looking down at a glowing playing card in her hands with a gentle smile on her face. Asuna had never considered that the artwork on the Duel Monsters cards might be pretty. She pocketed the card. It did not feel right to throw it away, but she would feel ridiculous asking Kaiba, or anyone else, what to do with it. She remembered seeing this card played a few times in the tournament matches she had watched and gathered that it was common.<br/>
The handling in the Mercedes was indeed smooth and most of the engine’s sound was suppressed, even at high revs. Asuna enjoyed driving back to Kaiba Corp, getting accustomed to the car, but she was looking forward to picking up Kaiba. All he would do was sit there and listen to music or look at his phone, but somehow his presence was soothing. It was a relief to be in the company of someone who expected nothing from her but to drive.<br/>
At 16:57 Asuna was waiting outside the lab’s main entrance when Kaiba appeared dressed in a crisp tuxedo, open at the collar. He was carrying a hard plastic case instead of his usual briefcase and deposited it in the car boot.<br/>
Asuna started the engine as Kaiba climbed into the seat next to her, then pulled the car out into the rush-hour traffic. It was prudent to have accounted for congestion when estimating the travel time.<br/>
“What do you want to listen to?” Kaiba said, looking at his phone.<br/>
This was a first. Asuna did not know what to say.<br/>
“I don’t mind, sir”<br/>
“I’m asking you a question because I want an answer.” He sounded irritated. “What would you listen to if I weren’t here?”<br/>
“Nothing, sir.”<br/>
Kaiba huffed. He seemed unsatisfied with that answer too.<br/>
Asuna continued “I like to hear the engine and the tyres on the road... The indicators, the wipers, the rain.” Rainy nights were her favourite. The water on the ground blurred the light it reflected, turning the road into an impressionist painting, and the droplets landing on the roof and windows made a soft tapping sound that she found relaxing. Best of all, the wet tarmac was perfecting for drifting and doing doughnuts.<br/>
However, if Kaiba was really going to honour her preference, he would probably get bored listening to nothing at all, so she added “...but I like Dee-Buh-See too.” She had seen the name appear on the Tesla’s tablet display a few times and had enjoyed the pieces.<br/>
“You mean Debussy?” Kaiba responded, saying the name correctly.<br/>
“Yes, sir.” Asuna kicked herself for being so uncultured. Before she drove for Kaiba, she had never particularly liked classical music, but she had developed her taste for it just based on what he listened to on his way home every night.<br/>
With a few quick taps on his phone, Kaiba played Arabesque No. 1 through the Mercedes’ retro-fitted Bluetooth system. Asuna squeezed the accelerator, propelling the car down the slip-road to match the flow of the motorway that would take them North, out of Domino City.<br/>
The piano’s delicate meandering planted a warm sensation in her stomach that grew with each passing measure. It was a beautiful piece, and Kaiba was playing it for her.<br/>
She imagined framing that moment and hanging it on her wall so that she could return to it any time she wanted to sit next to Kaiba again and listen to Arabesque together under the orange glow of the fading sky.  Asuna could not keep a smile from her face, and yet there was also a tension in her chest that was almost painful. The more she enjoyed her drives with Kaiba, the quicker they seemed to end. Soon this evening would be over too, and Asuna would have to return to the dark empty space she slept in every night. The sore reality that she would never be able to re-live this experience only made her cherish it more and savour the knowledge they still had more than two hours left of the journey.<br/>
They arrived at the venue after what felt like barely any time at all. The Mercedes rolled up the driveway of an enormous mansion built in a modern style from glass and metal. It shone like a lantern, projecting cool white light in every direction across the surrounding lawns. There was a queue of cars waiting to drop guests at the entrance, but Kaiba directed Asuna to drop him at the side of the building where the vacant cars were parked on a large square of gravel.<br/>
He brought a black strip of silk from his pocket and tied it into a bow at the base of his throat, frowning at his reflection in the mirror on the flip-down sun shade. He asked Asuna to bring him the case in the boot of the car. It was not actually heavy at all but she was careful with it. He took it from her outstretched hands, laid it on his lap, and placed his thumb on a patch Asuna only just noticed was a finger-print scanner.<br/>
Inside the case, charcoal-coloured foam nestled a Duel Disk wrist band, different from any Asuna had seen before. Kaiba lifted it out and slipped it onto his sleeved forearm. It suited the style of his formal wear, much better than the bulky hardware the kids of Domino City wore. Still, it was noticeable to say the least. Or it was, until Kaiba pressed a button on his wrist and the whole device disappeared in a shimmer of light.<br/>
Asuna sat up straight in her seat and stared at Kaiba's arm before she could stop herself. Looking carefully, she could see the outline of the Duel Disk distorting her vision, like watching a video taken with a smudge on the lens, and the band that fixed the hardware to his wrist was still fully visible.<br/>
Apparently Kaiba did not notice her reaction at all. He had a look of horror on his face as he clutched at the foam inserts in the Duel Disk case and wrenched them out, looking in disbelief at the empty case.<br/>
He slipped his hand into one jacket pocket, then the other, then felt around in all his pockets with mounting urgency.<br/>
“No...” He muttered, then louder “Shit.” He wrangled his phone out of his pocket.<br/>
Asuna looked straight ahead, trying to keep her expression neutral.<br/>
“Where is my deck?” Kaiba said into the phone. Asuna felt sorry for the person on the other end of the connection. The tone of Kaiba's voice indicated they would be out of a job very shortly.<br/>
“There isn't a game store for miles and anyway they're all closed. How am I supposed to demonstrate the updated holograms?” The dragon was talking now.<br/>
“Oh, you're sorry? That's great. In twenty minutes I'll just stand up in front of everyone and tell them that Hanajima is sorry.”<br/>
The tinny chattering on the other end of the ine was cut off when Kaiba saw what Ada was holding.<br/>
“Is that... ?” He reached out. Asuna offered it to him in both hands, with her head bowed. He took it and stared.<br/>
“Graceful Charity. That's perfect!” Kaiba said, then he checked himself and resumed his usual demeanour. “Do you have any more?”<br/>
“No, sir.”<br/>
“That's fine. Thank you, Asuna.” He looked at her for a few moments, but she kept he eyes downcast. Then Kaiba jumped out of the car and shut the door. Asuna watched him stride towards the house's entrance, slipping the card into his jacket pocket as he went. The curious shimmer around his forearm was completely undetectable at this distance, at least in this low lighting.<br/>
After the long drive, Asuna wanted to stretch her legs. She stepped out of the Mercedes and locked it, deciding she had time for a little walk, as long as she did not go too far and stayed away from any party guests. She pulled on her coat to protect her from the chill in the air.<br/>
The rows of luxury and classic cars parked there were all shined to perfection. A few of them were accompanied by drivers; men in uniforms and gloves, killing time, just like Asuna. They smoked cigarettes, chatted to each other, or just looked at their phones.<br/>
“Hey.”<br/>
Asuna stopped and turned towards the source of the voice. A woman in a black suit and tie was resting her backside against the hood of a white Bentley, regarding Asuna.<br/>
“Hello” said Asuna, unsure of whether she should linger or keep walking now she had returned the greeting.<br/>
“It’s not often I see another woman in a driver’s uniform. How do you like the job?” The woman said with a smile. Asuna guessed she was close to forty years old.<br/>
“It’s harder than I thought it would be.” Asuna admitted, hoping she would not be asked to elaborate. “But I like it.”<br/>
“Hah! Everyone thinks driving is easy until they do it for a job. You got a good boss?”<br/>
Kaiba was harsh, arrogant, inpatient…<br/>
“Yes” Asuna responded too quickly.<br/>
“I suppose you wouldn’t tell me, even if he was a bastard. You only just met me so why risk your job by telling the truth?” The woman laughed.<br/>
Asuna knew that question did not require an answer.<br/>
She continued “My boss is going to be in there all night, and I expect yours is too, so we may as well be friendly. I’m Mai.” She bobbed her head.<br/>
Asuna nodded in response. “I’m Asuna.”<br/>
“Just know this, Asuna, from one female driver to another: don’t let him feel you up. I mean your boss. It won’t end well for you. Even if he says it’s just a one-time thing. Even if he says he’s in love with you.”<br/>
Asuna was taken aback. Mai’s tone was easy, but she was being serious.<br/>
She continued. “When a man employs an attractive woman, she becomes a possession to him. No more, no less. Doesn’t matter if he’s a good guy or a bad guy. It’s not a relationship of equals so it’s doomed from the start. Then you’ll be out of a job.”<br/>
Something in Asuna’s expression made Mai stand up and place a hand on Asuna’s arm.<br/>
“You’ll be alright. I’m just teasing you a little bit. Hey, you wanna see something?”<br/>
Asuna could not think of a polite way to decline the offer. Mai tugged at Asuna’s hand, leading her to the Bentley she had been sitting on.<br/>
“I parked in this spot here for a reason. Look.”<br/>
Asuna followed Mai’s gaze. On the side of the house there was a tall narrow window that was hidden from most angles by the erratic shape of the wall. It revealed a vertical cross-section of the grand antechamber, which was split between the ground floor and a mezzanine level. Both levels were populated with elegantly dressed socialites and professionals holding delicate glassware and nibbling hors d’oeuvres. Joining the ground floor to the balcony was a wide staircase in the centre of the room.<br/>
Asuna could not see Kaiba anywhere.<br/>
“May I join you?” she said, keeping her eyes on the party. Mai made room for her on the hood of the Bentley and they sat together.<br/>
Inside, a grey-haired man was standing alone on the staircase, in the centre of the top step. The faces of everyone in the room were turned towards him. No sound passed through the window, but he was obviously making a speech. After a few minutes, the crowd applauded, clapping their hand or tapping against their glasses. The man on the stairs stepped to the side, making room for –<br/>
“Is that Seto Kaiba?” said Mai. “I had no idea that brat would be here. I wonder where his driver is, I wanna buy that poor guy a drink.”<br/>
Kaiba stepped onto the spot previously occupied by the man who had introduced him. He started speaking to the room using the dramatic physicality his public appearances were known for. He had the rapt attention of all the party guests, not to mention Mai, who could not even hear what he was saying. Asuna wished she could hear it.<br/>
The party was only meters away, but it existed in a dazzling world of opulence that Asuna could never approach. That was the world Kaiba lived in. However close he seemed to be to Asuna when they were in a car together, it was only an illusion. Asuna would always be sitting on the outside, completely invisible, watching him through a sliver of light leaking out.<br/>
She tensed with anticipation when Kaiba raised his first in the air, facing the back of his hand to the audience. Using the index finger of the opposite hand, he pressed a button on his wrist and the Duel Disk appeared as if from thin air. The crowd applauded. Even at a distance, Ada could see Kaiba had a self-satisfied smirk tugging the corners of his mouth.<br/>
For his next trick, he drew the card from his pocket with an exaggerated flourish and slapped it on the face of the Duel Disk. A brightly glowing ball of white light appeared below the centre of the ceiling, immediately drawing everyone's attention. As they watched, it formed into the shape of a heavenly angel in pale green robes. The angel floated towards Kaiba, offering him a glowing card above her cupped hands. Kaiba reached out to accept it, but of course it was only a hologram, so he was left holding nothing. The angel continued her advance towards him and extended both hands to cradle his upturned face. She looked down at him with that same gentle smile drawn on her card and planted a kiss on his forehead. The moment her lips touched his skin, she evaporated into thousands of white sparks, which floated upwards and faded to nothing.<br/>
The crowd erupted in appreciation. For the first time, the clapping and cheering could be heard from outside, eliciting mild curiosity from a few of the drivers waiting by their cars.<br/>
Asuna's heart was bursting with pride. She laughed aloud and clapped her hands.<br/>
Mai was dumfounded. "That hologram just touched Kaiba... And that invisible Duel Disk... What will that boy invent next?"<br/>
Kaiba stood there, soaking in the praise with a wicked grin on his face.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Non-Emergency</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Asuna finds a way to help Kaiba</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Over the course of the next hour, Asuna and Mai watched the party guests slowly getting rowdier. The drinks and hors d’oeuvres were distributed regularly by staff circling the room with trays. Both the supply and the demand seemed endless.<br/>
Asuna felt the same uneasiness she always did at large social gatherings, watching all the conversations and jokes going on all at once. At least this time she could not hear any of it. Mai pointed out people she recognised and told Asuna the ones known to treat their staff poorly. When she had run out of those, she speculated about which of the guests had the highest net worth, and who was getting the most drunk.<br/>
Asuna was listening, but mostly she was scanning the slice of the room visible through the window, trying to find Kaiba. He appeared a few times, first taking a drink from a server’s tray, then standing with a small group of men who laughed a lot, and finally, talking to an elegant young woman. Her collar bone was adorned with a constellation of jewels that glittered under the modernistic chandelier.<br/>
Asuna watched in silence. What was this young lady saying that made Kaiba smile like that? What was he saying back to her? Kaiba’s gravelly voice could make any warm-blooded woman blush and this one was no exception. She kept demurely batting at Kaiba’s bicep and chest while she giggled at his remarks.<br/>
Kaiba touched his companion on the elbow and excused himself, indicating his empty glass. As he walked away, Asuna lost sight of him due to the limits of the window, but the elegant young lady’s eyes were still following in the direction he had left in, and from the angle of her gaze, Asuna could estimate where Kaiba had gone.<br/>
“It was nice to meet you, Mai. Thank you for sharing your spot with me.” Asuna said quickly as she sprang up from the car’s bonnet. “I’ll look for you next time I take Mr. Kaiba to a party.”<br/>
“Kaiba?” said Mai, but Asuna was already hurrying away from the Bentley, towards the house.<br/>
Asuna circled around the back of the building in search of more windows to look through. It was certainly unprofessional to snoop around someone’s home but something about the way Kaiba had looked when he walked away from his last conversation bothered her.<br/>
There was a whole array of windows behind the house, some of them revealing dark rooms, and others occupied by staff plating hors d’oeuvres or pouring drinks. A few windows showed errant party guests appreciating the house’s décor, or sharing a private moment together, but Kaiba was nowhere to be found.<br/>
On the far side of the house, a wide balcony overlooked an ornate water feature in the centre of a hedge maze. The night air was cold, so none of the guests were out there to admire the moonlit scene, or hear the soft gurgling of the fountain, except for one lone figure, lit from behind by the lights of the house.<br/>
Kaiba was bracing himself against the balustrade with his long arms, locked at the elbows. His head hung down between his hunched shoulders, hiding his face completely. On closer inspection, Asuna could see his knuckles were white with the strain of gripping the railing. He was almost unrecognisable as the dynamic executive who had just charmed a whole room with his speech. The only other time Kaiba had looked like this was when he had taken that break from his meal with the Koreans. This time he looked much worse.<br/>
Since Asuna was standing in darkness, she was mostly hidden from Kaiba’s view, even if he happened to look in her direction. It was an invasion of his privacy to watch him in secret, but she could not bring herself to just walk away. In him, she saw herself at every party she had ever been to, retreating from the crowd and the noise to recover from the fatigue of maintaining social interactions.<br/>
The miasma of murmuring and laughter of the party became temporarily audible as the door to the balcony opened behind Kaiba. He lifted his head and assumed a more relaxed posture but did not turn around to see who was approaching him. Only Asuna could see it was a man of middle age carrying a champagne glass. Judging by his manner, it was probably not the first or second glass he had consumed that evening. He grasped Kaiba by the shoulder and struck up a conversation that Asuna could not quite hear. Kaiba straightened up to his full height and engaged with the intruder, shaking off all traces of his miserable aura.<br/>
Asuna wondered how long Kaiba could keep up the façade. Just now, he seemed to have spent the last of his energy. Apparently, he still had some left, but it would not last forever.<br/>
Asuna made up her mind. She continued her circuit of the house, treading quietly under the balcony and looping back to the front entrance. A bouncer guarded the door.<br/>
“Seto Kaiba is needed urgently. Please alert him” said Asuna on her approach. The bouncer nodded and passed on the message to a server just inside to door.<br/>
If Kaiba was still hiding on the balcony, it would take the staff a few minutes to find him. That would be long enough to for Asuna to get back to the Mercedes and bring it to entrance. She walked briskly, hoping Kaiba would not be too worried by the message. Thinking about it again, her plan was wildly irresponsible. She was calling her boss away from an important event based on nothing but a hunch. She could lose her job for this, in fact she almost certainly would, but it was too late to worry about that now.<br/>
The engine of the Mercedes was idling in first gear when Kaiba came out of the mansion. The bouncer was ready for him, holding the front car door open as the executive approached.<br/>
“What is it?” Kaiba ducked into the car, making no acknowledgement of the bouncer as he closed the door behind him.<br/>
This was the moment Asuna was most dreading. If she were wrong about Kaiba, he would be furious that she had lied and ruined his evening. Even if she had correctly interpreted what she had seen, Kaiba might still deny it rather than admit to his vulnerability. Accepting Asuna’s help and going along with her plan might bruise his ego.<br/>
She gripped the steering wheel with both hands. “Mr. Kaiba, there is no emergency. I made it up.”<br/>
“Why?” he demanded.<br/>
“I saw you on the balcony.” This was a huge mistake. She had witnessed Kaiba firing his employees for much smaller infractions than this and Asuna was not even qualified for the job she was doing. The only reason she was Kaiba’s driver in the first place was dumb luck and nepotism. Letting her go would not be a hard decision.<br/>
The silence was oppressive. Kaiba just stared at her, betraying nothing with his expression. He knew why she was doing this. He remembered the night she caught him ditching his dinner guests just as well as she did.<br/>
Eventually he said “Fine. Let’s go.”<br/>
Asuna released the clutch and kicked the accelerator, pushing Kaiba back against his seat as he fastened his belt. She wanted to maintain the illusion of urgency, but it was possible she was over-doing it. Her foot eased off the pedal and the Mercedes slowed to a more sensible pace once they were free of any observers.<br/>
Out on the public road, Kaiba suddenly said “Pull over, now.”<br/>
Asuna flicked the indicator and squeezed the break and the clutch, turning the wheel hand over hand.  Kaiba swung his door open, before the car had made a complete stop, and retched on the side of the road.<br/>
Asuna had completely forgotten about his carsickness in her haste to leave the mansion.<br/>
“Sorry, Mr. Kaiba. I should have driven more gently.” She managed as her hand darted out to kill the engine.<br/>
Kaiba was still doubled over and trembling. He vomited again.<br/>
Asuna retrieved her water bottle from the glove compartment, unscrewed the lid and extended it to Kaiba, holding it where he could accept it without sitting up.<br/>
Kaiba used the first sips of water to rinse out his mouth onto the ground, then gulped down the rest.<br/>
“It’s not your driving, it’s the party.” He sat up and stretched his head and shoulders against the back of his seat, his eyes closed. With his free hand, he pulled at the knot in his tie clumsily, without much effect. Asuna leaned over and loosened the knot for him, then she tugged the empty water bottle from his hand.<br/>
“Why are you always the one who saves me? It’s irritating.” Kaiba sighed.<br/>
Asuna looked away to give Kaiba some privacy. The clicking of the indicator sounded much louder now the engine was silent. Cars rumbled past them every few seconds, their headlights illuminating the darkness for a moment then fading away. The leather padding of the steering wheel was slightly worn at the “ten and two” positions where Asuna’s father had rested his hands over the years, Asuna noticed for the first time.<br/>
Unable to resist any longer, she turned her head back towards Kaiba. He was still slouching against his seat, completely sapped of his usual vitality, but his eyes were locked onto her face, unwavering.<br/>
“I have an apartment in Tokyo.” The bite in his voice was gone. “It’s not very far from here.”<br/>
“I thought you had a meeting tomorrow morning.” Asuna said, though she knew Kaiba had not forgotten.<br/>
“It’s not that important.” The response came back before she had even finished speaking.<br/>
Asuna’s heart was beating so hard she thought Kaiba must be able to hear it. So far, nothing had happened that broke the boundary between employer and employee. If they drove back to Domino City now and went home to their own separate beds, nothing about their relationship would change. Kaiba was feeling sick, so he suggested staying in Tokyo for the night. That was a version of reality they could both pretend was true.<br/>
On the other hand, if they went to Kaiba’s Tokyo pad...<br/>
The blood in Asuna’s veins ran hot. She filled her lungs with the cold air entering the car through the open door and tried to think clearly.<br/>
This is exactly what Mai had warned her about. Kaiba was Asuna’s boss and right now he was drunk and horny. After he got what he wanted from her, he would fire her. That was unacceptable.<br/>
It was also possible that turning him down would get her fired and she was doomed either way.<br/>
And anyway, she did not want to turn him down. She did not want to return to her dark, empty room and spend another night alone.<br/>
Another car streaked past.<br/>
Kaiba was still staring, waiting for her answer.<br/></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Rachmaninoff</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Asuna has to choose which desitination to take Kaiba to.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kaiba was still staring, waiting for her answer.<br/>A beeping sound broke the silence. It was coming from Kaiba. Driver and passenger both looked in the direction of the beeps and saw a red LED flashing on Kaiba's wrist in time with the sound. As they watched, his Duel Disk appeared there.<br/>“Hm, batteries'” muttered Kaiba. After generating the invisibility hologram continuously for up to an hour, the battery must have run out. He took the Duel Disk off and rested it on his lap, apparently lacking the motivation to find a proper place for it.</p><p>An eternity passed by in the span of the almost three hours it took to drive back to Domino City. The driver and her passenger sat in silence, listening to no music and exchanging no words. The only activity that took place was Kaiba putting his prototype Duel Disk away in its case. Instead of the normal sense of serenity she felt while driving, Asuna was bothered by Kaiba's brooding aura.<br/>
The Mercedes finally entered the Kaiba estate through the gates and rolled up the long drive way at 00:10.<br/>
“Take me to the garage” said Kaiba.<br/>
On every other drop-off he had gotten out at the front door, but this was not just another day at work. Asuna obeyed, neither rushing nor stalling.<br/>
In the garage it was darker than outside, there being no moon or streetlights to illuminate the interior of the car. When Asuna killed the engine, the headlights died, and the two occupants were lit only by the window at the top of the door that had just closed behind them.<br/>
Before Asuna could take her hand from the gearstick, Kaiba covered it with his own. His fingers enclosed around hers and spread their warmth up her arm and into her chest. Asuna looked at him, trying to make out his features as her eyes adjusted to the dim.<br/>
Before she could figure out his expression, he moved towards her, tilting his head to one side to kiss her cheek. The hair over his forehead tickled her skin just before his lips made contact. His kiss was dry and surprisingly soft. He lingered an inch away for a moment, then he kissed her again, this time nuzzling her ear with his nose. When he exhaled, his nostrils blasted her ear with hot air and sent chills across her scalp.<br/>
With a great effort, Asuna pulled herself away from him and pressed her back against the door.<br/>
“We-” she stopped short and tried again. “You shouldn’t.”<br/>
Kaiba was expecting that. “You’re right. I’ve been thinking about it for almost three hours and it’s definitely a bad idea – Actually, I’ve been thinking about it much longer than that.” Kaiba lifted Asuna’s hand and squeezed it. “But Jesus Christ, I’m not made of stone. And I won’t wait anymore.”<br/>
He lunged forward and his free hand darted out to cup Asuna’s jaw as he kissed her lips. Her throat emitted a hum of delight before she could suppress it. Every muscle in her body compelled her to reciprocate, to pull Kaiba closer, but she had to be smarter than that. If she allowed Kaiba to use her, then discard her, she could never be his driver again.<br/>
But the voice of her misgivings seemed to come from a long distance away, and Kaiba’s face was so very close.<br/>
There was nowhere to retreat to, so she tilted her head down to break the kiss. She filled her lungs with fresh air and in a small voice managed to say “I don’t want…” before trailing off, unable to find the words. It was always her words that held Asuna back. Other people could express their feelings and desires as easily as breathing, but when Asuna tried it, they always came out wrong, or more often they would not come out at all.<br/>
“Driving with you... I don’t want to lose it. This job…” Asuna swallowed, trying to clear the painful lump in her throat. “What would my father say?”<br/>
“Who cares?” he countered, a little too loudly. His hand was crushing hers now. “There's just you and me here. We're the only ones who can feel this. I know you feel it too. I’ve seen it. I can see it now.”<br/>
Tears blurred her vision and ran down her cheeks. Kaiba brushed them away before they could reach her chin.<br/>
“Idiot. Did you really not know?” he said quietly. His expression only softened a little.<br/>
“You’re the idiot.” Asuna sat up and kissed his lips, gently at first, then deeper. She slid her hands around the back of his neck and pulled him closer. Kaiba’s throat rumbled with a deep moan that Asuna felt as much as she heard. It stoked the embers deep inside her stomach and lit a fierce blaze that engulfed her body and mind.<br/>
In one fluid motion, she unbuckled her seat belt, stepped into Kaiba’s foot-well and swivelled her body, swinging around to land on his lap, her legs kneeling on either side of his slim hips. She wrapped her arms around his neck and went directly for an open-mouthed kiss.<br/>
Kaiba obliged with enthusiasm. While their mouths crushed against each other, he ran his hands up Asuna’s back and into her short hair, holding her in unyielding grip. It felt so good it made Asuna’s head light, but more than that, it drove her mad with the desire to feel more of Kaiba.<br/>
She pried herself away and started methodically unbuttoning the front of his shirt. He was less careful with her blouse, ripping it open from top to bottom and sending buttons ricocheting against every surface in the cabin. Asuna yelped, and snapped her head down to see her plain white brassiere, the only thing covering her naked torso. Kaiba’s mouth curled into a cruel grin. Refusing to be toyed with, Asuna got back to work on Kaiba’s shirt. It was difficult to focus while Kaiba was covering her collarbone and neck with short kisses and bites, and the hot breath from his nose tickling her skin. He seemed to be distracting her on purpose, but somehow, she managed to get his shirt open.<br/>
Her reward was a melting embrace. The two clung to each other like their lives depended on it, each pressing every inch of their exposed skin against the other. Their lips met again, then again and again.<br/>
The space was tight with both of them on one seat. She reached down the side of the seat and pulled a lever while bracing one foot against the dashboard. Without ever breaking away from Kaiba, she pushed out her leg, sending the seat swinging back in a smooth arc until it was almost horizontal. Asuna’s body weight pressed down onto her love.<br/>
She ran a hand over the back seat, which was easily within reach now.<br/>
“This is where I found Graceful Charity. Just like the story about your Blue Eyes.” Asuna mused.<br/>
“Lucky spot.” Kaiba smirked. “Think I'll find a condom in here if I dig around?”<br/>
Asuna laughed at that. She had foolishly not considered protection until that point.<br/>
Kaiba reached behind his head and inserted his hand into the seam of the back seat, then ran it back and forth as if he really were looking for something.<br/>
“Aha!” He withdrew his hand, clasping a square foil wrapper with the two signature serrated edges. It had definitely not been there that morning when Asuna cleaned the car.<br/>
“You had that in your pocket all night.” Ada said. It was not a hard trick to figure out. “Did you really remember to bring protection but forget to bring your deck?”<br/>
He grabbed Asuna by the waist and flipped her over so she was under him. His throat made a sound like he was gargling with pebbles as he looked down at her face, then at her exposed torso.<br/>
“Seeing how the night turned out I think it was the right way to go.”<br/>
Asuna took advantage of the interruption to take off her driving gloves so she could feel Kaiba’s skin with her fingertips, but he grabbed her wrist before she could unbutton the first one. He pinned her hand down, next to her shoulder.<br/>
“Leave those on” he commanded.<br/>
•••<br/>
Asuna nestled her face into the tender flesh of Kaiba’s neck, breathing in his aroma. She was pressed against the side of his sleeping body, under his arm, with her head resting on his bare chest. It felt like she had slept for a few hours. They were still in the front passenger seat of the Mercedes, fully reclined. It was a luxurious interior but still not very comfortable for two people to sleep in together. All the same, she was in no hurry to move.<br/>
Seeing Kaiba lying there, so perfectly serene and vulnerable, gave her a strange impulse, which she allowed herself to indulge. With the pad of one finger, she poked his cheek and watched his face to see his reaction. His features remained completely relaxed, but he grunted. Then, after a pause, his eyes cracked open and he saw her looking down at him.<br/>
Kaiba smiled. Then his chest started to shake, and his mouth contorted as he tried to suppress his amusement.<br/>
“What?’ asked Asuna, failing to see the joke.<br/>
Now there was a deep chuckle in Kaiba’s chest, but still he kept his mouth clamped closed. Finally, he composed himself enough to say “Dee-buh-see”, then broke down in a laugh that shook his whole body.<br/>
Asuna pressed her face to his shoulder, cringing with embarrassment.<br/>
Kaiba reached into the pocket of his trousers, which were still open at the front, and pulled out his phone. He tapped on it a few times with his thumb and showed Asuna the screen.<br/>
“How do you say this one, Asuna?” he asked innocently.<br/>
The phone was playing a track by Rachmaninoff.<br/>
“Seto!” she whined, but she could not resist laughing along with him. Their intertwined bodies were soon shaking with peals of laughter.<br/>
The patch of sky visible through the garage window was lightening to a pink grey.<br/>
 </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. The Panda</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Two old rivals meet for a showdown.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  On Sunday, Asuna wore a t-shirt and jeans and covered the outfit in a coat and scarf. It was nearing the end of winter but there was a stiff breeze shaking the trees outside her window. Seto had not said where they were going but he would have told her to dress appropriately if he was taking her somewhere fancy.<br/>
At 3 o'clock she waited outside her apartment building, watching the road in the direction Seto would arrive. The motorcycle came round the corner and slowed on its approach. Like many of Seto's custom vehicles, it was coloured a metallic ice-blue. Seto was wearing a matching helmet and extended an identical one to her without even lifting his visor.<br/>
Asuna pulled it over her head and climbed onto the back of the bike. She decided to grip the ridge around the back of the seat, rather than hugging Seto's torso for support.<br/>
It was strange to consider that she had no idea how Seto liked to drive when was in control. He did not try to show off as much as she thought he might. He was not quite as careful as Asuna would have been if their roles were reversed but he was not at all reckless.<br/>
  The bike carried them a few miles away from the city centre until they reached a bridge over the main river bisecting Domino City. It was a relatively quiet residential area. The river was guided by a typical artificial embankment; a steep concrete slope rose up on both sides then abruptly flattened onto a grass-lined footpath. On the footpath, near the bridge, a group of four people watched the approach of Seto's bike expectantly.<br/>
From a distance, Asuna could recognise the manic spikes of hair and short stature of Yugi Mouto, the Duel Monsters guy. From context, Asuna supposed the blonde guy with him must be that loud-mouthed duelist she remembered from the Battle City broadcasts. His name did not come to mind.<br/>
  "Wassup, Kaiba! Ready to get your butt kicked by the King?" The blonde called out as Seto and Asuna dismounted and removed their helmets.<br/>
  "Yugi, keep your little dog on a lead or he might bite someone." Kaiba said, not even looking at the young man who had addressed him. His tone was not as harsh as his words.<br/>
Asuna hung back near where the bike was parked. This was a social occasion and she was on her day off but she did not know how Seto expected her to act around his friends. The gang looked genuinely pleased to see Seto, even as they joked at his expense. Aside from Yugi and the blonde duelist, there was a pretty girl in unseasonably tiny shorts and a young man who looked average in every way. They all looked very close in age, making Asuna guess they might have been in the same school class as Seto.<br/>
When Seto deactivated the invisibility hologram on his Duel Disk they were all impressed.<br/>
  "I didn't come here to chat with a bunch of geeks. I came to duel" he announced. He and Yugi shook hands, then turned and walked a few paces away from each other. The others stood off to the side and Asuna decided she should probably stand with them.<br/>
  "Hi, I'm Hiroto Honda" said the average guy when she approached.<br/>
  "I'm Asuna Fujioka. It's a pleasure to meet you."<br/>
  "Are you Kaiba's girlfriend?" asked the blonde guy immediately.<br/>
  "Jounouchi! Learn some manners" said the girl. That was when Asuna remembered the blonde duelist was called Katsuya Jounouchi.<br/>
  "I work for Seto" she said. It was true, but it was not an answer to the question. She could very well ask herself the same thing. "I'm his driver."<br/>
  If they thought it was strange that she just used his given name, or that she had just arrived as Seto's passenger, not his driver, they said nothing of it.<br/>
  "Do you have the keys for that bike?" asked Jounouchi.<br/>
  "Yes." She had a custom fob that opened all of the Kaiba family vehicles.<br/>
  "Woah! Can I take it for a ride?"<br/>
  "No."<br/>
</p>
<p>As the duel progressed, a few passers-by stopped to watch the famous CEO dueling the King of Games, most of them children and teenagers. It was more exciting than Asuna had expected a card game to be. The wind snapping at duelists's coats and hair made the action even more dramatic. Jounouchi, Anzu and Honda cheered for Yugi but they also voiced quieter admiration for Seto when he pulled off a skillful move. The smattering of random fans were a mixed bag regarding who they supported. Asuna was not the type to cheer but she smiled and clapped for Seto.<br/>
When the duelists had less than 500 life points each it looked like Seto would win. He used a magic card to immobilise Yugi's monsters and attacked with Dimension Dragon, but Yugi's trap card directed the damage at Seto. Then Seto played a counter that took away Yugi's life points but did not protect his own, so they both finished with 0.<br/>
  "Another draw" said Honda.<br/>
  "How can this keep happening?" whined Jounochi.<br/>
Seto looked irritated to have his victory snatched away at the last second, but it was just a casual game with no external stakes. Even if he had won, he could not take Yugi's official title, as much as he wanted it. They shook hands again and each asked the other about the new cards they had added, and what they had taken out. They discussed the clever plays of the games and shared what their thought processes had been at the time.<br/>
Seto noticed Asuna standing there and gestured for her to join them. 'Asuna, this is Yugi Motou, the King of Games, at least for now.' Then back to Yugi 'This is Asuna Fujioka, my girlfriend.'<br/>
  "I knew it!" Cried Jounouchi. He patted Seto on the back. "Our boy has become a man."<br/>
  "As if you know anything about being a man. Get your hand off me." Seto brushed him away.<br/>
  Asuna was embarrassed by the attention she was getting from everyone suddenly. Some of the kids watching had heard it too.<br/>
  "I'll get you next time, Yugi." He said with a wry smile.<br/>
  Yugi replied with a single firm nod.<br/>
  "I'm afraid if we stick around much longer Anzu might try to lecture me on friendship. See you around" said Seto. He walked back to his bike.<br/>
  Asuna bowed to Seto's friends. "It was nice to meet you" she said, and she meant it.</p><p>---</p><p>Asuna and Seto had a drink at a Western-style coffee shop nearby. The seating layout facilitated privacy with tables divided between a few rooms across two levels. Seto lead the way to one in a quiet corner.<br/>
Asuna found the list of Italian coffees a bit intimidating, so she just asked for tea. When the waiter came to the table Seto ordered a pot to share. Speakers mounted high on the walls played a soft bossa-nova tune.<br/>
Seto picked up the menu and held it up over the table, showing Asuna the drinks list.<br/>
'How do you say this?' he asked, his finger indicating an item on the menu named 'mocha'.<br/>
The word was short and simple, but that could be a trap. The 'ch' part in the middle usually sounded like the start of the word 'chat' but there were a few words where it sounded like a 'k'. With no other clues Asuna had to guess. Seto wanted her to get it wrong so he could tease her, so it was probably the less common 'k' sound, but he might be expecting her to think that and had intentionally picked one that was easy so it would be even funnier when she got it wrong.<br/>
  "Moh-kah" she said, trying to look confident in her answer. He did not laugh, so it must have been right.<br/>
  "Hm. What about this one?" His finger slid up the page to point at 'cappuccino'.<br/>
  Big mistake.<br/>
  "Ka-puh-chi-no." She had heard people say that in TV advertisements.<br/>
  "Not bad." He said and laid the menu back on the table.<br/>
</p>
<p>When the tea arrived Asuna poured it into Seto's cup, then her own, remembering how respectful Seto had been the day she and her father drank tea at the mansion. He had looked cute in his casual clothes but today his outfit was covered by a high-collared coat.</p><p>"Can I still be your driver?" Asuna asked. The question had been on her mind since Seto had called her his girlfriend earlier. Actually, it was since their trip to Tokyo. She added 'Please'.<br/>
He was not surprised at all. "As long as you maintain the standard I'm accustomed to, I have no reason to fire you."<br/>
  Asuna fidgetted with her cup. "But will it not embarrass you to be driven around by your girlfriend?"<br/>
  "I'm Seto Fucking Kaiba. The peons can think whatever they want. You're the best person for the job and that's the end of it."<br/>
  If that was really how he felt, Asuna wondered why he had made a big deal about her opening the door for him, when her father had done that for the Kaiba family for years before she arrived.<br/>
  As if he had read her mind, Seto continued "I didn't want you opening the door for me because I knew if I saw your body I wouldn't be able to get it out of my mind. That rule still stands by the way."<br/>
  "Can I call you Seto?"<br/>
  "Yes, but not when you're driving. All my employees call me Mr. Kaiba and I can't start making exceptions."<br/>
  "In that case, I can't let you feel me up in the car anymore."<br/>
  Seto grunted at that and narrowed his eyes by a millimeter. "Fine."</p><p>When they mounted the motorcycle again the sky was getting darker and the couple's bodies cast one long shadow across the width of the road. This time, Asuna felt bold enough to put her thumbs through the belt loops at Seto's hips for support. She again imagined capturing the moment and framing it. She hung it up on the wall in her mind, next to a thousand other perfect moments she had shared with Seto since they met.<br/>
  They arrived back at Asuna's apartment too soon.<br/>
  Asuna took off her helmet but did not dismount. "Would you like to come in?" she said to Seto's back. "I can make us some dinner."<br/>
His helmet turned towards her.</p><p>Seto's body looked too big for the little apartment. He sat on the floor at the low table, eating the curry and rice Asuna had prepared. There was only one room serving as the kitchen, living space, and bedroom. She was glad she had folded the futon and bedding away that morning so it did not look cluttered. She ate sitting across the table from him.<br/>
  The dish was simple but Seto did not betray any sign of dismay if he felt it.<br/>
  "I thought I'd find out something about you if I looked around your home, but there's nothing here" said Seto, running his eyes over the tatami mats and paper walls. Asuna hated to disappoint him, but she felt a flutter in her chest knowing Seto wanted to know her better.<br/>
  She washed the dishes in the sink and left them to drain. If Seto wanted to understand her there was only one thing she could show him.</p><p>The Toyota AE86 Panda was parked in a private lot behind the apartment building.<br/>
  "I saved up to buy this when I was 17" Asuna explained, admiring the thick black stripe that cut across the white paintwork. 'It was falling apart, but I restored it myself, delivering food in the evenings to pay for the parts.'<br/>
Asuna opened the hood and pointed out the modifications she had made to the engine.<br/>
  "My parents bought me the gear box for my eighteenth birthday" she said, smiling at the memory.<br/>
  She closed the hood and ran a hand over the headlight as she circled round to the side. The bodywork was still a little irregular in the places where she had hammered and buffed out the dents.<br/>
  Seto followed without commenting.<br/>
  '"At night, I snuck out to race on the mountain pass. They called me 'the Panda'. I wasn't the best but I was pretty good."<br/>
  She bent a little to look through the window. "That' s where I lost my virginity" she said, pointing at the back seat.<br/>
  Seto lay his arm along the car roof above Asuna's head "Have you got a 'thing' for car sex, then?" He was teasing her, but she did not laugh or deny it.<br/>
  "It's a beautiful car" he said. Now his smirk was gone.<br/>
  "Want to see the interior?" Asuna looked into his eyes and moved her hand to the handle of the rear door.<br/>
  Seto pressed his lips to hers and lingered there.<br/>
  "As much as I enjoyed our night in the garage, I was hoping we could try a bed this time..." He ran his fingertips over the side of Asuna's head "...so I can show you what I'm really capable of.'</p><p>Despite Seto's request, they did not make it to a bed. After the kissing started in earnest back inside the apartment, Seto could not wait for Asuna to unroll the futon. He could barely let go of her longer enough for her push the table to the side of the room.<br/>
  He rushed to undress her but did not rip anything this time. When he was finished he took one look up and down her body lying completely naked on the floor, before hastening to ravish her.<br/>
The freedom to move easily was definitely an improvement on their first time together, and removing their clothes completely meant they were not so stifled and hot.<br/>
Every square centimeter of Asuna's bare skin was explored by Seto's strong, smooth hands, which spread a exhilarating sensation wherever they touched her.<br/>
The two naked bodies entwined one another in a tender dance. Each caressed and teased the other until they reached their well deserved release.<br/>
  As they sunk into sleep right there on the floor, Seto started speaking in a drowsy monotone.<br/>
  "One day I'm going to beat Yugi and I'll be the King of Games. When I do, I hope you're there to see it."<br/>
  Asuna did not know what to say to that so she let sleep take her away.</p><p>---</p><p>The wind had settled down. The sun had set hours ago. The stars in the sky were reflected in the clusters of lights from Domino City's buildings, street lights, and vehicles, far down below. On the winding mountain pass, a black and white Toyota '86 made its way uphill, taking each hairpin turn at some speed but always smoothly. The roaring of the engine echoed around the hills, but inside the car there was music playing through the speakers. It was Arabesque No. 1 by Claude Debussy and both the driver and the passenger listened in quiet appreciation.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Every Yugioh story needs a card game.</p><p>Thanks for reading to the end. Let me know what you thought of my story and go read Two Broken Mirrors, the inspiration for it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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